The Catechism of the Catholic
Church on the Our Father #5
September 24, 1995
Br. John Raymond
"Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we have prayed so
often in the Our Father. For almost 2,000 years the Church has
echoed this petition. We know that in Heaven all carry out the
Father's Will perfectly. As the Book of Genesis relates, before the
Fall of Man, Adam and Eve lived in intimate union with God. They
were destined for eternal happiness in Heaven with God if they
obeyed Him. This was God's intention or Will for Man__then came the
Fall. God did not change His Will after this but Man had changed his
will. Man lost his intimate relationship with God, was inclined to
break God's commandment of love and lost the right to fulfill his
ultimate purpose__to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Fortunately,
Jesus offered Himself for all, that all may be saved. And "we have
been sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ
once for all." (Heb. 10:10) In our fallen state God's Will for Man
has not changed, just the method. In Christ He wishes "to gather up
all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth." (Eph.
1:9,10) Jesus draws all men to Himself and through Him all men are
brought to the Father.
As we know all do not embrace the Good News or have even heard of
it. God has made us a part of bringing about His Will. We, who in
Christ have become God's children by adoption, "Ask our Father to
unite our will to His Son's, in order to fulfill His will, His plan
of salvation for the life of the world. We, on our own are incapable
of this, but, united with Jesus and with the power of His Holy
Spirit, we can surrender our will to Him and decide to choose what
His Son has always chosen: to do what is pleasing to the Father."
(Catechism #2825)
Origen, a teacher in the early Church, tells us this petition of
the Our Father is a universal one__for the whole world. It does not
ask that His Will be done only in the faithful but on the whole
earth, "'So that error may be banished from it, truth take root in
it, all vice be destroyed on it, virtue flourish on it and earth no
longer differ from heaven.'" (#2825)
Of course, God wills that we fulfill His commandment of love. The
saints strove to will what God willed and now in heaven they possess
perfect charity. We should imitate them by keeping the example of
Jesus before our eyes throughout the day. We need to ask ourselves
and pray about what Jesus would do in such-and-such a situation.
People ask, "What is God's Will?" while not seeing and doing His
Will in the opportunities that arise many times a day! We miss so
many opportunities of being another Christ to our
neighbor__especially when we become too preoccupied with our own
concerns.
I remember the story of a young man who was driving to a job
interview. He saw a car with a flat tire at the side of the road.
The owner of the car needed help. The young man struggled between
stopping to help the man and being late for the interview. Charity
won out. He stopped, knowing he would be late and probably not get
the job. After fixing the flat the young man continued on to his
interview. Upon arriving the secretary told him to wait. Finally, he
was ushered into a room. Imagine his surprise when he discovered the
man who was to interview him was the same man who he helped on the
road. Of course, he got the job.
Jesus told St. Catherine of Siena, "You concern yourself with my
interests and I will take care of yours." If we zero in on God's
Will our lives will become more fruitful__and exciting! "Father, may
Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven."